1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the game of golf and apparatuses for improving an individual's ability to play golf, and more particularly, to a novel golf posturing device which prevents the player from slouching at any time during the golf swing, thus allowing for proper upper and lower body movement through the golf ball.
2. Description of Related Art
The game of golf is becoming more and more popular, not only in the United States but in many foreign countries as well. One attractive feature about the game of golf is that almost any individual may participate despite having certain physical handicaps or a lack of coordination which makes it more difficult to compete on a head-to-head basis with others. However, because the game is generally handicapped, those less experienced or less coordinated individuals may still play against more experienced individuals while obtaining the same enjoyment from the game.
Obviously, the objective of the game of golf is to obtain the fewest number of strokes possible during a round. Thus many inventions directed to golf clubs, golf swing training devices, yardage detectors, and stance coordinators, among others, have been developed all with the intention of assisting the golfer in obtaining lower scores.
One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,199 which issued Aug. 19, 1975 to Hugh K. McGonagle, which relates to a golf swing training brace which is attachable to a golfer's lead arm in an effort to force the golfer to maintain the lead arm in a relatively straight position while taking a swing. As correctly noted, most golfers tend to bend their lead arm at or about the moment the golf ball is struck thus preventing the club head from travelling in substantially the same direction as the desired line of flight for the golf ball. As with other golf training apparatuses, the objective is generally to provide the player with the ability to have control over the line of flight of the golf ball.
Still other golf training apparatuses such as the one discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5, 188,365, which issued Feb. 23, 1993, to Picard relates to a golf swing training harness designed to assist in obtaining a proper swing path. The training harness includes a waist band, two arm bands and a leading leg band all interconnected by an elastic strap which limits the range of motion of the arms and the leading leg of the player during periods of use. One perceived drawback of this invention is that while it conceivably precludes undesired movement of the players arms relative to the legs, it does not compensate for the lack of good posture while swinging the golf club.
Yet another adjustable golf swing training device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,366, which issued Feb. 23, 1993, to Dorotinsky. The golf swing training device disclosed therein relates to an adjustable belt for encircling the golfer's waist which is rotatable during the golfer's swing, a ground anchoring stake for attaching the training device to the ground and a resilient cord which extends between the ground anchoring stake at the waist belt. The theory here is that by limiting the golfer's ability to move laterally during the swing the golfer will more likely make a proper hip and shoulder turn thus allowing the golfer to better direct the line of flight of the golf ball. Again, the training device disclosed theoretically will assist the player in making a proper hip and shoulder turn. In the absence of a proper posture, this training device will not work to its maximum potential. Still numerous other golf training apparatuses which are not directly attached to the human body are available.
While most golf related inventions which are attachable to the human body deal with mechanisms for precluding undesired movement of an individual's arms or legs, until now, few if any have been directed to maintaining proper posture while swinging the golf club. Perhaps more than any other physiological aspect of a golfer's address of the ball, the golfer's posture affects both how consistently a player swings the golf club and how an individual strikes the golf ball. Typically, bad postures destroy the feel of the motion and the rhythm of a good golf swing. As a player slouches during their swing, various other areas of the body are affected, thus making it virtually impossible to strike the ball in a desirable and consistent manner. One result of this slouching is that players tend to flex too much at the knee which in turn results in excessive weight being generated on the back of the player's heels. In this position, the player's chin tends to bury toward their chest, thus making it difficult to make a full body turn when striking the golf ball. Preferably, the player's body weight will be concentrated more toward the balls of their feet rather than on their heels during the swing, which allows them to adjust from side to side as the player's arms come back during the take away and forward during the follow through. Further, the player's hands tend to be lower, which makes it difficult to fully rotate the arms during the swing. By maintaining a fairly upright posture, the player has the ability to bend at the hips which then allows the player's arm to have room to suspend at the shoulders. This allows for freedom of movement during the entire golf swing, including both the take away and the follow through.
Not only do the better players have good posture, but they tend to do it very consistently. Thus the golf posturing device of the present invention will assist a player in developing a good posture and through what is commonly referred to by knowledgeable golfers as "muscle memory", maintain good posture on a consistent basis after a period of utilizing the present invention, then playing without having the golf posturing device attached.